Wednesday, May 17, 2017

From Crows to Meadowlarks

     With a final grunting thrust, the pole pushed up through the bottom. The debris rained down as we jumped back, not wanting our hair and shirts to be filled with twigs, leaves, dust, and debris, but mostly, not with the ugly little bodies of the newly hatched crows. This was not easy work, but was great entertainment for a Saturday afternoon. The low bush of the Saskatchewan prairie made sure the nests of the hated birds were not so high that we could not reach them with a downed sapling. There was a bounty on crows and that was all the justification we needed.

     We sifted through the underbrush and the remains of the nest to find the young while the frantic parents were screeching at us from the tree tops. Not hatched more than a day or two before, they were ugly pink/blue creatures, with bulging eyes, not yet open, and only hair where there should have been a covering of black feathers. Grabbed by their tiny feet, we collected them and wondered how we would kill them. Killing nature was natural in those days. Killing for killing’s sake. The bounty on a set of crow’s feet was secondary. It hardened us, made us man/boys, tough, and a force to be reckoned with. They call it macho.
    
     We were near an abandoned farm house, a skeleton from days of old, the chimney having fallen in a heap near the back door. The bricks would do just fine, as we placed each hatchling on a brick and smashed another brick onto it. “Crow Sandwich” we chortled.
    
     Hayward’s pasture was perfect. The cattle had cropped the grass short enough and there was a ready source of water in the middle of it. But the best thing was the proliferation of gophers. There were holes everywhere and movement around them was abundant. Armed with pails, clubs, and .22’s, we marched onto the killing field. Where a hapless creature would dart down his hole, a full pail of water followed and the back entrance, a few feet away, would soon produce a slick, wet gopher, looking for dry safety. We would be ready, and soon, another tail was in the collection sack. I remember being relieved that although they were cute dry, they were ugly wet, like small rats, and that was justification enough. The bounty was secondary.

     There was a slough behind my friend Vern’s house. With spring run-off waters to sustain them, it was home to toads, frogs, lizards, salamanders, newts, and other horrible amphibians that were loathed by all and most likely transmitted warts. It seemed incumbent upon us, as young boys, to rid the slough of these creatures. Vern was particularly adept when it came to capturing these crawling creatures.
    

     It was a hot early summer evening when I was wandering down the alley behind Vern’s house when the flames caught my attention. The fire was built in the middle of the lane between two rows of poplars, where his dirty deeds would be hidden from the eyes of civilized folks. It was a small fire, maybe a foot across at the base. “Watch this” he called out when he saw me coming. Vern had an evil streak in him, regardless of, or maybe because of, his strict upbringing. He had cooked up a successful scheme to steal chocolate chips from my dad’s grocery store, and did it right under my eyes. I had witnessed him doing several unmentionable things in the few years I had known him, and so the “Watch this” should have been a clear warning for me to walk away. I didn’t. As I approached his back, which was turned to me and hunched over, I thought he was having a wiener roast in the lane, but it did not look like a wiener, that thing on the stick. As I got nearer, I saw with great clarity that the ‘thing’ was a live salamander writhing and twisting in agony as it was being roasted alive. The silent scream of that creature has haunted me since. I pushed Vern away from the fire and yelled at him that what he was doing was cruel and God was going “get him”.
     Moments from having uttered those words, one of those freak prairie storms roiled in from the west. The lightening flashed and thunder rolled across the slough. Without warning, the flames, sparks, and burning brands of the sacrificial fire were swirling in the air and down the lane as wind that came out of nowhere, gusted and eddied. It was too late for the dead salamander, but as for me, I ran home as fast as my legs would carry me. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw the silhouette of Vern against the dying light of the day, shoulders shaking, whether from crying or laughing I do not know.

     Lying prone in the bush, only a few feet away from an established rabbit trail, sprinkled with fresh droppings, I wait. Had I not read books about snipers and deer hunters, I would not have realised that patience was the key to success. My Cooey .22 was loaded with a single shot ‘long’, the bolt pulled back, and my finger was tickling the trigger. There it was, that slight movement in the grass, and then the rabbit was in plain view. Had I been farther away I would just shot for a ‘hit’, but I was close enough to target the heart. I did, and I was surprised at the way the animal leapt straight up in the air and fell back down, lifeless. I was at once exhilarated and sorrowful. I cut the feet off and left the carcass. It would have been nice to have my buddies there to cheer me on with a slap on the back or a called out “Good shot”. Clutching the rifle and my rabbit’s feet on the way home, I felt a change coming over me.

     It was one of those warm bright summer days, where the blue in the sky would almost hurt your eyes, had it not been for the isolated cumulous clouds, brilliant white in their upward billowing. The word was out that there was a Wood Duck’s nest near the little grove of Willow trees on the corner where the road to Gunther’s farm turns off the highway. The Mallards of the lakes and sloughs were familiar to us but a Wood Duck? Now that is worth an adventure. To what end, I did not know. We slowly approached the Willows, watching carefully to see where the duck would be flushed. It would be the key to finding the nest.

     On a weathered and split fencepost nearby, there sat a Meadowlark. His melody had always been my favourite, and I could not help but stop and listen. A low wind was pushing the grass to the earth in waves, making a hissing sound. The notes of the bird came in waves as the heat and the wind distorted a clear hearing of it. My friends were ahead of me, and I was glad for it, as a sudden flutter in the grass drew my attention and there was the mate of the singing bird, floundering in the high grass, making distressing calls, and convincing me that her wing was broken. Naturally, I began to follow, hoping I could capture one of these beautiful birds. She led me away. Away from where? It suddenly dawned on me that I was being suckered and at that point I tried to recollect where I had first seen her fluttering deceit. It was near the cluster of Brown eyed Susans, I was sure of it. I walked, carefully, in that direction, and by the hysterics of both Meadow Larks now, I knew I was on the right path. And then I found it. The ingenious structure of the nest, the way the grass was pulled over in a teepee like manner, the camouflage of it, the deception of the mother, the clutch of tiny speckled eggs, the blue sky, the soft wind, the cotton clouds, everything, hit me hard.

     Having failed in the search for the Wood Ducks, my friends wandered to my place of reverence and soon discovered what I was marvelling at. I defended that nest despite protestations. I loved Meadowlarks from that moment on and if I defended the nest, there would be more Meadow Larks, and that would be an excellent thing, an enduring goodness.

     I have since thought often of how that incident changed the mindset of a prairie boy raised in a culture of exploitation and destruction of so many beautiful things. It changed my perspective, in a lasting way. The appreciation of beauty in nature requires only a moment of sincere and maybe intense observation, and a thinking and enquiring mind.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Sensory Overload


The annual spring Tulip Festivals are well under way in the Fraser Valley. There are two of them this year. The Tulips were very late in coming and they are reluctant to leave. They love the cooler temperatures and that is what we are having.
The owner of the land on which this field of Tulips was grown is a good friend of mine and I was thrilled to get his permission to enter the field 'after hours'. The hours of operation are right when the light is at its harshest, and because the view is to the south, the camera more or less points into the sun, with the Tulips in the foreground. At sunset, the light is coming from the side and it makes all the difference when composing a good photo. I was thrilled to have a dramatic sky as a backdrop to the vast flood of red. There really is nothing like standing in a large field of brightly coloured Tulips in their peak.

Friday, April 14, 2017

Odds and Ends


Not since the late 80's have I wallpapered an entire room. This one had been papered and when we stripped the old paper there was a lot of damage on the walls so the customer decided to do the whole room.



It was a huge improvement over the old, dingy, tired, and faded paper from the past.  



This was a makeover where the customer wanted to do the minimum of preparation for the new wallpaper. We covered a multitude of sins that day.




Back to a dramatic black wallcovering. This pattern made a very bold statement in this master bedroom.




This was a curved stairwell and the wallpaper was Anaglypta, a paintable wallcovering.


The height at any given step was 9' so I had to drag my mini scaffold up and down, back and forth about 50 times by the time I got to the bottom of the stairs.


The curve was consistent all the way down, a rarity, so I never lost pattern or a tight seam the whole way. I never got to see the finished product. I wonder how she painted this texture down along the carpet where we tucked it deep below the nap.


At least our part was done well and properly. I was thankful that I did not have to paint it too. I always love the variety in my work but some things that I have done lots of, I do not like to do anymore.


Wednesday, April 12, 2017

First Blooms of Spring 2017


There was the briefest of breaks in the cold spring weather on Sunday afternoon and we walked to the park which is nearest to our home. The Cherry Blossoms were just starting and a new variety of Tulips was just coming into its own.


During the winter months I am totally uninspired to even think about photography, but the minute I see a blossom, I am charging up the camera battery and heading out to capture some colour after many months of nothing but grey.


Standing under a Cherry Tree in full bloom is a delight like few other things in nature. This year there is not as much pink in the blossoms, but they are heavy and prolific on the branches. I guess we have a year of quantity over quality.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Maybe My Last Paint Job


I have turned the painting end of my business over to my partner and son and realised that this is the probably the last paint job I did. There is only one more coming up, but that is to paint a set of kitchen cabinets.


This was a two bedroom condo in Pitt Meadows. The young couple worked very hard, on their days off, to move as much as they could out of the little cramped rooms. Their colour choices were unique, but then I did not mind going out with a bit of a bang.




Sunday, April 9, 2017

An Artful Floral


I really appreciate the variety in my work, not only the areas that I work in and the people I work for, but the beautiful patterns and materials that are coming out of the industry today. This paper is most beautiful to look at and to touch. The background is a crinkle paint look and the flowers are very artistic. The pattern match was a staggered drop match making the pattern so random on the wall that it was difficult to see any repetition at all, and that is rare.


This was the first job I did after a two week bout of the flu. I felt very weak and shaky but managed to get it done.


The vanity was an old salvaged dresser that was painted and plumbed. It was gorgeous, but not easy to get around as it was permanently fastened to the wall. The old fashioned vintage look was definitely achieved in this powder room make-over.


Saturday, April 8, 2017

Reptilian


This snake skin, or alligator skin, comes in rolls and some people like it put on the walls of their bedroom. It is realistic but I do not care for the repetitious pattern which is evident as you step back to take a look. A longer repeat, or more random pattern would have been better, but I do it give it a thumbs up for the look and feel of animal skin. (If you like that sort of thing)






Friday, April 7, 2017

Black Grass Cloth


An interior designer from Abbotsford asked me if I would drive to South Surrey to do a small job because she could not find an installer for her client's very expensive black grass cloth. I did not care much for the design of the house but the wallpaper was very nice.


I started in the center of the wall so that the panels and seams would be equidistant from the corners. Grass cloth is a very panelled look so the placement of the seams is critical.


Not many people are brave enough to tackle grass cloth. It is tricky and very expensive. I learned to hang it in the 80's when west coast design houses with vaulted ceilings, cedar, and exposed beams were popular, all surrounded by various shades of grass cloth.


I developed a technique that is unique and works very well.


A close up shot.


It is difficult to cut and is very hard on knife blades. It is also not fun to strip. I hope they liked it and were prepared to keep it for a long time. If we could have come back the next day to take a photo when it was dry, the distinct panel look would be quite a bit less.


Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Something Unusual


We have done a few jobs at Harrison Hot Springs in the last few months. It is too far to drive out to check the job before taking it on so I am often surprised. This was an unusual paper but nice to work with. The problem was, there was not enough, and because the client bought the paper many months previously, the right dye lot was no longer available. I ended up splicing a lot of small pieces into the last corner, not something I like to do. But, the client could not see the splices so it was OK. It just took a lot more time.




Monday, April 3, 2017

Fun and Satisfying


I was looking forward to hanging this mural and it did not disappoint. I have hung this style and brand before so knew what I was up against before even starting. The trick here was to centre the Brooklyn Bridge from top to bottom without taking off anything that was important to the balance of the photo.


There were 10 panels and as I have stated before on one of my other work posts, starting right, plumb and square, is absolutely critical.



Getting organised and set up takes almost as much time as actually installing the photomural.


It was going well and I was having so much fun.




The client was 'over the moon' about the whole thing and that always makes my day. This was also an interesting project because it is in phase 2 of the Condominium project which we are moving into in 15 months. I could live with one of these in my unit.